New IOC vice president John Coates warns Rio de Janeiro Olympics remains a huge concern

Updated
Wed 11 Sep 2013, 12:19 PM AEST

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Biggest challenge ... New IOC vice president John Coates has said that Rio De Janeiro remains well behind in preparations for the next Olympics with two years to go.

ABC News: Peter Lewis

New IOC vice president John Coates has issued a stern warning to Rio de Janeiro organisers to lift their game and speed up flagging preparations for the next Olympics.

Speaking to ABC after his official election at the IOC session in Buenos Aires, Coates raised the state of Rio de Janeiro's preparations two years out from the Games, indicating that sorting out the mess would be the main priority for him and new IOC president, Thomas Bach.

"There's plenty more to be done in doping ... the coordination of testing authorities with the information that they can receive from, and as we're doing in Australia, Customs and the crime folk. There's also work to be done in illegal match fixing," he said.

"But the preoccupation for all of us in this job is making sure that we're going to have a good Olympic Games. And we've got a few problems in Rio and I think that's going to occupy the new president and my and the other executive members, that'll be our priority at the moment.

Asked about the IOC's level of concern about delays, Coates replied:

They're running now with delays in commencement of some venues and some projects (are) right up against and will go past I fear some of the test events that are held one year out.

IOC vice president John Coates

"Yeah, (it's a) huge concern. The money is there in Brazil. It's a wealthy economy. The plan is right.

"But there just doesn't, or we haven't seen yet too much or enough coordination between the three levels of government when it comes to the big construction projects.

"They're running now with delays in commencement of some venues and some projects (are) right up against and will go past I fear some of the test events that are held one year out.

"And they (test events) are just so important for the success of the games. We found that in Sydney and we found that in London."

In recent times, Athens in 2004 is the benchmark for troubled Olympic preparations, with construction on a number of venues and infrastructure only completed in the last frantic weeks before the Games.

With time beginning to run out for Rio, Coates was asked whether there was a chance that the 2016 Games could be taken off the Brazilian city.

"No they can't lose the games, your hands are tied at this late stage," Coates said.

"And you've just got to work with an organising committee and its underwriting government to get the right solutions."

Gosper honoured for Olympic contribution

Coates' election came as the only other Australian to hold the IOC vice-presidency, Kevan Gosper, was honoured with the Olympic Order in silver to mark his retirement from the organisation.

Gosper's award was delivered at the 125th IOC session in Buenos Aires, where earlier this week delegates voted to give Tokyo the right to host the 2020 Olympics.

A silver medallist in the 4 x 400m relay at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics, Gosper joined the IOC in 1977 and served two terms as vice president and also worked on the IOC Executive Board.

He has been chairman of the IOC press commission for 20 years. He will reach the IOC's member retirement age of 80 in December, and will then become an honorary member.

This is a perfect baton exchange - the day I go is the day he (John Coates) becomes vice president, it is extraordinary, but we've been working on it for years!

IOC member Kevan Gosper

"This is a perfect baton exchange," Gosper said of Coates' election.

"The day I go is the day he becomes vice president, it is extraordinary, but we've been working on it for years!"

Gosper admitted that despite his honour he was sad to be retiring from the organisation where he has spent almost half his life.

"I've had a great run and it is up to the young people now to make it work.

"I've had 36 incredible years, vice president, the Executive Board, three Olympic bids for Australia and my involvement with the Sydney Organising Committee (SOCOG), president of Oceania (Pacific nations) and all the time with the support of my family, it is an astonishing list, I have no complaints."